Richmond star identified in photo scandal

VICTORIA Police have reportedly identified the Richmond player at the centre of a scandal involving the circulation of explicit photos of a woman wearing a Tigers star's AFL premiership medal.

The Herald Sun says police are assessing the information they have after the young woman complained the photo was circulated without her consent. The photo was taken after the Tigers AFL grand final victory last month.

"Yarra Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating an image distributed on social media," police said in a statement.

"The image was posted without consent.

"As the investigation is ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further." Reports of the photos emerged late last week.

The Tigers issued a statement last week, stressing the club is dedicated to promoting respectful attitudes towards women after a photo scandal involving a topless woman wearing a 2017 AFL premiership medal.

Police are investigating after the photo of the naked woman's torso with the medal around her neck was circulated online.

It's alleged the woman didn't agree to the photos being published. The club on Wednesday said it will fully co-operate with police.

"We feel very strongly about the positive role of women at our club and in sport generally and are committed to creating an environment where women can thrive," a statement read Reports of the photo emerged late last week and club president Peggy O'Neal said Richmond won't "stand for that" if it's found a player has done the wrong thing.

The 2017 AFL Premiership medals.

The photo doesn't show the woman's face, and nor is the medal owner identified. Victoria's Attorney General Martin Pakula said it's something that just shouldn't happen.

"People need to be very, very careful in distributing images of people other than themselves," Mr Pakula told 3AW on Wednesday.

"Particularly when they may have given people the impression they have deleted those images." Health Minister Jill Hennessy said it was a great fear of parents that their daughters will be exploited in this way.

"It seems we've got all this technology now but we don't have the social manners about what is acceptable and not acceptable," she told reporters.

"It's a matter that should be treated very seriously and there should be very harsh deterrents to anyone that seeks to humiliate a person like that." A second photo showing a naked woman from behind, holding a football and standing beside a wall with a Richmond logo on it, is not believed to be subject to the police investigation.